After taking some time to absorb the shock and prepare for the future, a Whitby resident claimed a $55-million lottery prize Thursday (May 24) morning.

Dwayne Williams matched all the numbers in the April 5 Lotto Max draw and picked up his winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

“Usually I check my LOTTO MAX ticket first thing on Saturday morning but that Saturday we were so focused on getting out the door with the kids to run some errands at the mall that we totally forgot to check our ticket,” explained Williams , a married father of two.

“On our way in the car, we heard on the radio that the winning ticket was sold in the Oshawa area – my wife and I joked ‘It’s us!’”

When the family returned home after their outing, Williams scanned his ticket on the OLG Lottery App. “I saw the Free Play notice first, that’s where my eye went on the screen but in my head I knew something looked different than usual – and that’s when I focused on the $55 and at first I thought I won $55,000 but then I counted all the zeroes – all of this went through my mind in a split second.”

Williams turned the screen to his brother.

“His mouth dropped open. And then we started screaming and ran upstairs to share the news with my wife. I fell to the floor and we all piled on top of each other, celebrating.”

Though he knew about his win on the day following the draw, the 35-year-old took a couple weeks to claim his prize.

“It’s such a lifechanging event. I wanted to think through the process, prepare for the future and clear my mind,” he shared.

“Also, I knew I had a winning ticket and understood that this windfall would be the start a new chapter in our lives. I wanted to soak in normalcy with my family and friends before all the fanfare.”

Williams, a technology entrepreneur, plans to invest in his business and to keep working. “It’s important for my kids to see their dad participating in a normal routine, being productive and giving back.”

As for those lifelong dreams that a $55 million win now affords him, he is thinking about purchasing a “peppy, fast luxury car” and taking time to travel.

“We’ll want to experience all of Europe – the culture, castles and museums.”

The winning ticket was purchased at the CNIB Lottery Kiosk in Walmart on Baldwin Street in Whitby.